Daniel Snyder’s reign of terror in Washington has officially come to an end.
The purchase of the Commanders by Josh Harris from Snyder has been approved unanimously by NFL team owners during a special session Thursday.
Harris, 58, a private equity investor and owner of the NBA’s 76ers and the NHL’s Devils, bought the Washington football team for a record $6.05 billion, surpassing the $4.65 billion Rob Walton paid for the Broncos in June 2022.
Snyder, 58, bought the Commanders and its stadium in Landover, Md., in 1999 for $800 million.
NFL owners convened Thursday morning for a league meeting during which a vote to ratify the sale was held.
The eight-owner finance committee then met in the afternoon for a formal vote and recommended the approval of the deal to the other owners.
In an informal vote during a remote meeting Monday, the finance committee reportedly voted 7-0 in favor of recommending the approval of the deal, with one member not participating in the meeting.
Then-owner Daniel Snyder of the Washington Commanders looks on before a game. Getty Images
Josh Harris also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils. APHarris, who is now the official owner of his hometown football team, inked a non-exclusive agreement with Snyder in April, followed by an exclusive deal in May.
The Commanders had announced in November they would consider offers for the team.
With the purchase, Harris and his partner David Blitzer — of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment — must sell their shares in the Steelers.
Dan Snyder speaks during a press conference. Getty ImagesThe Commanders are primed for a much-needed new era with fresh front office leadership.
Snyder, the now disgraced executive, departs the league after a 24-year stint with heaps of controversy in his wake.
Despite not winning a Super Bowl or even making a conference championship game appearance, Snyder’s slew of losing seasons is not the main thing he will be remembered for.
Washington Commanders owners Tanya Snyder, left, and Dan Snyder on the field. The Washington Post via Getty ImDuring his tenure, the NFL launched two investigations into the Commanders for both sexual harassment and toxic workplace claims.
In 2018, former Washington cheerleaders said they were sexually harassed and intimidated while working for the franchise, followed by more than 20 additional female former employees detailing similar experiences.
The NFL announced in July 2021 that the Commanders would be fined $10 million after the first investigation.
Snyder’s wife, Tanya, was tasked with assuming control of the team’s daily operations.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Daniel Snyder watches warm-ups before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Getty ImagesAt a February 2022 congressional roundtable, Tiffani Johnston, a former cheerleader and marketing manager for the team, said Snyder harassed her at a team dinner, put his hand on her thigh and pushed her toward his limo.
The NFL opened its second investigation into the team following those reports.
Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s October 2021 resignation was wrapped in an email leak that showed exchanges between him and Washington’s general manager Bruce Allen from 10 years prior, in which Gruden described NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith using a racist trope.
The emails were discovered during the Commander’s toxic workplace investigation, prompting Gruden to believe both Snyder and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had a hand in the leak and his downfall, for which Gruden then sued the league.
Federal investigators in Virginia are also now looking into misconduct from Snyder and his former team, tied to a $55 million loan taken out without his partners knowing.
Dan and Tanya Snyder pose for a photo. Getty ImagesHarris is not only tasked with rebooting the culture on the field, but off of it too.
Harris’ investor group includes Mitchell Rales, the co-founder of the Danaher Corporation; Washington-area venture capitalist Mark Ein; NBA great Magic Johnson; and Eric Schmidt, the former chief executive officer of Google.







